Changes
by Rachel Cisto
Summary: A new girl arrives at West McKinley,and her arrival leads to major changes for everyone.
1. The Arrival

Kylie Wilson stood in front of her new school. "West McKinley High. Here we go."

She stepped through the doors, and almost immediately got pushed into the center of the atrium, landing on her stomach on the floor.

"Are you alright?"

Kylie looked up to see a teacher, Mr. Will Schuester, standing over her. She smiled sheepishly. "Um, yeah, I'm fine."

She stood up and dusted herself off, and he helped her gather her things. He smiled at her as he handed her some of her books. "You must be new. My name's Mr. Schuester."

"Kylie Wilson. And, yes, I am new." She glanced around the atrium, then back at Will. "I'm also lost. Can you help me?"

"Sure. Where's your schedule?"

Kylie pulled it out of her bag and handed it to him.

"First block, Spanish 1, with me." Will glanced at her. "That won't be hard to find." He looked back down at her schedule. "Algebra, English Lit, Physics, US History...you have a study hall after that..." He looked up at Kylie again. "Looks like a pretty good schedule."

"Only missing one thing."

"What?"

Kylie sighed. "Music. I don't have a music class."

"Are you an instrumentalist?"

"Singer. Mezzo-soprano."

"Really?" he asked, as they started walking in the direction of his classroom.

"Yeah, I was in both choirs at my old school, plus I sang with the Jazz Band, and did a good amount of musical theater."

"Can I hear you?"

"N-now? Um, okay..." She took a deep breath and began to sing.

"I can finally see that you're right there beside me. I am not my own, for I have been made new. Please don't let me go, I desperately need you."

After a moment, he shook his head. "You're good. Have you ever performed in a show choir?"

"No, actually, I haven't."

Will smiled. "Would you be interested?"


	2. The First Rehearsal

Will led Kylie into the West McKinley choir room. Almost as soon as he made it inside, he noticed that it was louder and more chaotic than usual. When the students realized he had arrived, he was barraged by cries of "Mr. Schue!" from several directions.

"Sorry," he said quietly to Kylie. "I'm not sure what's happening. It's not usually this crazy in here."

"Mr. Schue!" Rachel ran up to him. "Can you _please_ tell Mercedes that -" She stopped and looked at Kylie. "Who is she?"

The room got quiet, and everyone turned to Kylie. Will glanced at her, and saw that she had visibly shrunken from their gazes. He stepped toward her, as if to protect her.

"I was just getting to that. Guys, meet Kylie Wilson. She just moved here from..." He looked at her.

"New Hampshire," she said quietly.

"New Hampshire, and she was telling me how she was in two different choirs, plus singing with the jazz band, and doing some musical theater."

Rachel looked skeptical. "Did she sing for you? Is she any good?"

Will smiled. "Yes, she _did_ sing for me. And she's _very_ good." He turned to Kylie. "Care to demonstrate?"

She stared at the floor, and shook her head no.

"Another time?"

She shrugged.

"Alright, then, you can sit down."

Kylie ducked into the first open seat she could find, in the front row. _They're all looking at me, _she thought, _but at least I can't see them._


	3. The Judgment, part 1

Mercedes looked over at Kurt as they walked down the hall. "Is it just me, or does that new girl look a lot like Mr. Schue?"

"Oh, no," Kurt said, shaking his head. "I thought that too."

"Maybe they're related?"

"I don't think so."

"It's a little strange, isn't it?"

"Not really. People can look alike and not be related." Kurt sighed. "Why do you think she didn't want to sing?"

"She's new. She was probably terrified. We were all looking at her."

"Well, not only was she standing at the front of the room with Mr. Schue, but did you see her clothes? I know that's what I noticed first."

"She was wearing a jean skirt and a t-shirt. What's weird about that?"

"The shirt said 'Not My War'. She's obviously politically opinionated. Really, I noticed the rainbow socks."

"I thought they were kind of cool."

"Well, she definitely seems interesting."


	4. The Judgment, part 2

"Did you see the new girl?" Rachel asked Quinn.

"Yeah." She looked over at Rachel. "Why?"

"I can't believe she wouldn't sing!"

"Mr. Schue said she was good though. I trust his judgment."

"I guess." Rachel sighed. "But I'm going to be skeptical until I actually hear her sing. Then I can decide what I think about her."


	5. The Encouragement

"Kylie!"

She wheeled around. "Hello!"

Will stood behind her. "You wouldn't sing."

"I know." Her eyes dropped to the floor. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I get it; it's your first day." He shrugged. "I guess I got a little overeager. Just let me know when you're ready to sing, and I'll make sure I have time for it."

She nodded, but still said nothing.

"Hey."

She looked up.

"They're only wary of you because they've never met you. Once they know you can sing, they'll see that you have as much a reason to be here as they do."

She smiled. "Thanks, Mr. Schue."


	6. The Judgment, part 3

"That new girl is weird," Santana whispered as she and Brittany walked past Kylie in the hall.

"Yeah. I mean, did you see her shoes?"

"Who wears sneakers without laces?"

"And those knee-high rainbow socks? 1984 calling."

"I know! And her shirt said 'not my war'. What war is she even talking about?"

"I don't know."

"Me either."


	7. The Slushie

Will was sitting in his office, watching the students walk by after the final bell. Kylie walked by and waved. He smiled.

Kylie walked through the atrium, headed for the main exit. Suddenly someone on the second floor shouted, "Hey, new girl!"

Kylie stopped and turned. She looked around.

"Welcome to West McKinley!" someone else called.

Before she had entirely realized what was happening, she was covered in blue slushie.

Kylie, stunned into silence, simply picked up her books, turned around and walked off without a word. She walked into the girls' bathroom and started washing the slushie off. She managed to get it off her hands and face, but her arms, legs and hair were another matter. She decided to use the showers in the locker room to at least try to get her hair clean.

As she started to push open the door, she heard a voice behind her. "And _where_ do you think you're going?"

"Into the locker room. I need the shower to get the slushie out of my hair." She turned around. "Is that okay?"

"Actually, no. My Cheerios are heading in there to get ready for practice."

"Oh." Kylie looked at the woman standing in front of her, apparently thinking. "You must be Coach Sylvester."

"You're very right."

Kylie smiled. "Wow! I remember when I was little I wanted to be a cheerleader because of one of your teams! I'm Kylie Wilson. I just moved here."

"Kylie. Are you joining the team?"

"Um, no. I-I got hurt a few years ago when I was on one of the Manchester PAL teams, and I can't cheer anymore."

"No Cheerio, no locker room. It's the rules."

"O-oh. I'm sorry then."

She started to walk away, but Sue stepped in front of her. "You know, you look just like someone I hate. Same eyes, very similar face." She smirked. "Now, you've caused me to picture him with slushie dripping off his head, which is a pleasing image. The remaining question is how do I make it a reality? I can't just dump a slushie on him."

"No," Kylie said thoughtfully, "but you could rig something. Like one of those holiday crackers, except that when he touched it or picked it up or moved it, it would explode slushie on him." She paused thoughtfully, then smiled. "Or worse, depending on how much you hate him."

Sue nodded at her. "I like you." She motioned toward the locker room. "As your reward, go. Practice starts in twenty minutes, which means they'll be in there in ten."

Kylie smiled. "Thank you, Coach Sylvester."

"Just be careful you don't get slushie on anything. I'll make you clean it if you do."

"Understood." Kylie ducked into the locker room.


	8. The Removal

Kylie burst in through her front door. "Hey mom! You won't believe what I found out today!"

"I can only imagine." Kylie's mother, Paloma, was less than receptive of her daughter's varied interests.

"West McKinley has the most AMAZING music program! And the director's really nice! He doubles as the show choir's director and a Spanish teacher."

Paloma glared at her. "Again with that music crap?"

"Crap?" Kylie couldn't believe that it was starting already. "Just because I like it, it's crap?"

"No, it's crap because you won't be able to have a future with it. How will you support yourself – or, more importantly, how will you support me as a struggling musician with no steady income?"

"Well, when I get a multimillion dollar recording contract, you won't have to worry about income. I'll wire you a couple thousand dollars a month."

"That's bull. What record executive would give _you_ a contract? You're a lazy, disrespectful little brat. "

"You're only pissed off because I told you I wouldn't let you be my manager back when we lived in Manchester!"

"You accused me of stealing!"

"No, I said you _would_ steal most of my money, deliberately so I couldn't leave home!"

"_WHY _would I want to keep you? I want you out, ASAP!"

"Of course. I should have known!"

"Should have known what?"

Kylie's eyes filled with tears. "That this crap would never go away, regardless of where we lived!"

"Our moving doesn't change the fact that you're a little witch."

"Me, really? I'm a witch? You're the one who won't let me do anything! You're the witch!"

"Well, if you think I'm a witch, why don't you just move out?"

"You know what? I think I should."

"Good."

"And I will!" Kylie ran off into her room. "Hate her. I hate her. H-A-T-E, hate!" she muttered, as she pulled her purple and leopard-print luggage out from under her bed. She opened the largest one and stuffed it full of clothes. The next largest one she filled with shoes, hats and bags. The second smallest one carried several books and her mini iHome boombox. In the smallest one, she put makeup, jewelry, and her Nintendo DS and all of its accessories. She picked up a ripped photograph from when she was a baby. It was a photo of Kylie and Paloma, but it was ripped in half. Paloma had ripped Kylie's father out of it. She placed it the smallest suitcase, then zipped it up and put it with the others. She wheeled the suitcases out into her living room.

"See you later ma!" she cried, grabbing her backpack and car keys and storming out her front door.


	9. The Box

During most of school the next day, Kylie sat silently. She didn't make eye contact with anyone, and she spoke only when asked a question – usually delivering monosyllabic responses.

Will stopped her after glee practice. "Kylie? You alright?"

She wouldn't look at him. "Fine."

"Everything okay?"

"Yep." She pushed past him and into the hall, fighting back tears. All she was thinking about was getting through the day unscathed.

Will watched her and sighed. He'd known enough students to know that Kylie wasn't okay, and everything wasn't fine.

After school, he waited near the front doors, determined to at least try to find out what was wrong with Kylie.

He saw her almost immediately. As she walked by, he reached out and touched her shoulder. "Kylie?"

She stopped, but still didn't look up from the floor.

"Can we talk in my office?"

She nodded, and Will led her to his office.

Kylie sat down in the chair facing his desk, and Will sighed. "Look, Kylie, I know there's something wrong. I work in a high school. I'm around you guys all the time. If you'll tell me, maybe I can help you. I know you're new, and probably scared, and you haven't had the easiest transition." He smiled wryly. "I know all about the slushie incident yesterday."

Kylie's head snapped up.

Will continued. "But you can always go to someone to talk when you need to. Any of your teachers would be glad to listen to you, or you could talk to Miss Pillsbury..." He sighed. "Or, you can talk to me, right now. What's up?"

Kylie sighed. She hadn't broken eye contact yet, and Will could see that her eyes were red from crying.

"I-it's nothing, really. My mom and I just had a fight last night, and I'm still upset about it." She tilted her head to one side. "What's that box?"

Will turned. "What box?"

There was a small box sitting next to his desk.

"Oh. Yeah, I don't know what that is." He looked at Kylie, who shrugged. He picked up the box. "It might be the last of the Spanish workbooks that I was looking for."

He opened the box, and it exploded slushie all over him.

Kylie gasped and covered her mouth, trying to stifle a giggle.

Will wiped some of the slushie off his face.

Coach Sylvester poked her head into the office. "Afternoon, Will. I see you got my package." She looked over at Kylie. "Brilliant idea, Kylie."

She left. Will looked at Kylie. "You did this?"

Kylie, still trying not to laugh, said, "Mr. Schue, in my defense, I didn't know she was going to use it on you."


	10. The Parking Lot

Kylie stretched out on the backseat of her car. It was uncomfortable. She'd spent the last week sleeping in her car, moving it every night so as not to seem suspicious. She kept her suitcases in the front passenger seat, and wore one of her old theatre necessities – a tan bodysuit – under all of her clothes, enabling her to change in the backseat in the morning before she left for school. She was worried, though. Lying awake, staring out the sunroof, she thought about her money situation. She was almost out of money, she didn't have a job, she needed to put gas in her car, and she knew, resentfully, that she'd have to give up her morning coffee because she could no longer afford to buy it.

The next day, Kylie tried her best to act as normal as possible. "I don't want to worry anyone," she muttered to herself as she applied her makeup in her car's rear-view mirror. She was parked on a residential street, with several other cars. She hoped that her out-of-state license plate wouldn't make her suspicious. She hadn't been able to change over her New Hampshire license, and her car still had its New Hampshire plates. She sighed, dropping her makeup case back in the small suitcase in the passenger seat.

She started the engine and pulled away from the curb. As she drove toward West McKinley, she noted an empty, unfenced parking lot. "That's where I'll go tonight," she thought.


	11. The Discovery, Part 1

Will drove past the parking lot later that night. He glanced over, and saw one lone car sitting at the edge of the lot. As he slowed down to take the right just after it, he saw that the car had New Hampshire license plates.

"I've only seen one set of New Hampshire plates around here lately," he said, taking the next right and entering the parking lot. As he pulled up behind the car, he saw that it was purple, and he saw the electric blue music note details along the trunk.

"I knew it."

He turned his car off, and walked through the dark to Kylie's car.

Glancing in the back window, he saw her sprawled out on the backseat. He tapped on the window, and Kylie sat up with a start, hitting her head on the passenger seat that was laying down above her.

She opened the door and smiled. "Hey, Mr. Schue," she said gently. "What's up?"

"I could ask you the same thing."

"Legitimate question, really."

"I'm glad you agree." He sighed and leaned on the open door. "So why don't you tell me what's really going on here?"

"Well, I told you that me and my mom were fighting, and, well...it got a little heated, and I moved out. Now I live..." she motioned around her car. "Here. Home sweet home."

"How long have you been out here?"

"Meh, a week. Week and a half, maybe."

"You don't have anywhere to stay?"

"If I did, would I be sleeping in my car?"

"Would you?"

Kylie sighed heavily. "No."

"And you're not staying in a hotel because...?"

"No cash. Can't even fill up my gas tank."

They stood in silence for a minute, until Will sighed. "Start up your car."

Kylie looked at him blankly.

"I live a few blocks from here. It's supposed to pour tonight. Wouldn't you rather be somewhere where you're guaranteed to be dry?"

She shook her head. "Oh, no, Mr. Schue, I couldn't put you out like that."

"Don't worry about it. You can park your car, I'll make you a bed on the couch or something. I can't just leave you here. Come on."

"Well...I..."

Suddenly, thunder boomed overhead, and a streak of lightning flashed across the sky. Instinctively, Kylie dove back into her car.

Will smiled a little. "Coming?"

Kylie poked her head out and nodded.


	12. The Discovery, Part 2

Kylie stood in the center of Will's living room, looking around nervously.

He glanced at her. "What's wrong?"

"I shouldn't be here."

"It's fine, Kylie." He tossed her a pillow. "I don't mind at all."

"I do." She sat down on the couch.

Will turned back to the closet.

Suddenly Kylie screamed. "My bracelet! It's gone!" She jumped up from the couch and began searching through her suitcases frantically.

"When did you last see it?" Will asked, moving to help her.

"A few hours ago. I was wearing it when you found me."

"Could it be in your car?"

"It has to be!" Kylie bolted for the door.

A few minutes later, she came back in, smiling. "Found it."

She sat back down on the couch."I'd die if I lost this. My dad gave it to me when I was really little. It's the only thing of his I have. I don't even have a picture of him. My mom ripped them all up."

"Can I see it?"

Kylie gingerly handed Will the charm bracelet.

He took it as gently as she had handed it to him and turned it over in his hands. Will's gaze stopped abruptly on one charm. He held it up and examined it more closely.

It was half of a heart, silver in color, with a deep purple stone in one corner.

Kylie smiled. "That's my favorite one. It has-"

Will cut her off. "An inscription on the back."

"How'd you know?"

Will didn't answer her. He flipped the charm over, and read the inscription.

He shook his head in disbelief. Kylie looked at him, concerned. "Mr. Schue?"

He looked at the charm again. "To my lo...daugh...love."

He looked expectantly at Kylie, who shrugged. "I've never found the other half. Mom said that my dad kept it."

Will handed her the bracelet and got up. Without a word, he walked out of the living room. Kylie was left sitting on the couch, wondering what had just happened.

Will went into his bedroom. "It's got to be a coincidence. They won't match."

He went into the closet and began digging. A few moments later, he pulled out a dusty, old box. He threw the lid off and reached inside.

"Yes!"

He pulled out a little black velvet drawstring pouch and carried it back into the living room, where he sat down next to Kylie.

Kylie now looked very alarmed. "Mr. Schue, I can just-"

"No." Will said, looking up very suddenly. He had obviously startled her. "Sorry, it's just..." He sighed. "Look."

He reached into the pouch and pulled out a silver half-heart charm. Kylie looked at it, stunned.

She held hers up, and they fit together perfectly. Will handed her the charm, and she flipped them over together and read the inscription.

"To my lovely daughter. Love, Dad."

They looked at each other, not saying anything. Kylie was crying.

She was the first to speak. "How...?"

Will shook his head. "I...don't know. Except..."

Kylie, sniffling, looked at him impatiently.

"Well, I was in a relationship with a woman...about sixteen years ago. She was wonderful, and we had a daughter. Not long after the baby was born, her mother just snapped. She threatened me, and ripped up all our family portraits. She took our daughter and moved out, no warning."

"What did you do?"

"I didn't technically have custody of her, so I couldn't do anything." He shook his head sadly. "I really never knew what became of her."

"But you gave her a charm bracelet..." Kylie said, looking at her bracelet. "And only half a charm so that when you found her, you'd know. They'd match."

"I debated taking her photograph to one of those age-progression companies to see what she'd look like now, but I never did."

"You have her picture?"

"Her mother took most of them, but I hid one of the family portraits we had before she shredded it."

Kylie was looking at him oddly.

"What?"

"Can I see it?"

Will went into the other room, returning with the box. He reached in and pulled out a photograph. In it, he was sitting in a park with a dark-haired, slender woman. In the woman's lap was a baby girl. All three of them were laughing and smiling.

Now it was Kylie's turn to be stunned. "No way."

She jumped up and grabbed the smallest of her suitcases. She opened it and pulled out the ripped photograph she had taken with her.

She quietly moved back to sit with Will, and held up her photograph. He took it from her, and laid it on top of his. They matched.

Kylie shook her head. "It can't...you...can't...no..." She collapsed forward, her head in her hands. "This is WAY too much for me." She looked up at Will, tears streaming down her cheeks. "There's no _way_-"

"What state is your birth certificate from?"

"I don't know. I've never seen it. I always assumed I was from New Hampshire."

"Did your mom say you were born in New Hampshire?"

"No." Kylie sniffled a little. "She never told me anything."

They sat in silence for a while. Eventually, Will looked at her.

"The proof is overwhelming, you know."

"The 'proof' could be coincidence, you know." She sighed. "I've been here before. I've thought I found my dad, only to have it not be him. This could be an overwhelming coincidence."

They sat in silence a little longer.

Kylie spoke next, her eyes riveted to a strand of carpeting. "Would you be willing to prove it?"

He looked at her. "You mean, like, a paternity test?"

Kylie, still focused on the carpet, nodded.

"I know a doctor in Columbus who does them. Do you want me to call him?"

She didn't say anything, or make any moves to show that she had even heard him.

After a second, she looked up at him and nodded solemnly.

Will nodded too. "I'll call him in the morning."

Kylie's solemn expression was replaced by one of puzzlement.

"Tomorrow's Saturday?" Will said, clearly amused.

Kylie smiled. In all the excitement, she had forgotten that it was Friday night.

"Right. Sounds good."

"Goodnight, Kylie."

"Goodnight, Mr. Schue."

She laid down on the couch, but didn't fall asleep.

Meanwhile, Will was sitting on the bed, staring at the photograph. They were both thinking the same thing.

_It's got to be a coincidence...but wouldn't it be wonderful?_


	13. The Coffee

Kylie opened her eyes. She was relieved to see that she wasn't laying in the back of her car. And that meant that the events of last night might have actually been real.

"I'm serious. I think I found her."

She perked, hearing Will's voice coming from the kitchen.

"No, really. Yeah. Look, can you see us today or not?"

Kylie smiled. It _had_ been real. She rolled over and faced the back of the couch.

"Alright. We'll get out there as soon as we can. Bye."

He walked into the living room. "Kylie?"

She turned to face him. "Morning."

"Get dressed. We're going to Columbus."

Kylie yawned. "Okay. Why?"

"I talked to my friend and he said he can see us today. So we're going in."

Kylie nodded slowly. The overwhelming confusion from the night before swept over her again.

Without a word, she got up and began rummaging through her suitcases.

Will disappeared into the kitchen again, leaving Kylie sitting alone on the couch. She held a pink blouse and black skirt folded in her lap. She dug in her suitcase again to find her black knee-highs. Quietly, Kylie walked into the bathroom to get changed.

Looking in the mirror, she mused on how her life would change if the test came back positive. She also wondered what she'd do if it came back negative.

None of those situations worked out too well for her, she realized, so she went back to thinking about what would happen if it came back positive.

"I'd never have to go back and live with my mom," she noticed suddenly. That thought alone was enough to motivate her into going to Columbus.

She began to understand, as she brushed out her hair, that she could eliminate all ties to her mother. She could change her last name and become Kylie Schuester. She could forget everything her mother put her through. She started to cry.

It was then that Kylie realized she _wanted_ that test to be positive. And she'd never wanted anything more.

Will poured himself a cup of coffee. He glanced out into the living room at the mangled pile of Kylie's suitcases.

If the test was positive, he'd have to find somewhere for her to move in. There would be custody papers, paperwork for West McKinley, he'd have to help her transfer over her license plates and driver's license, and she'd need to find work...

But if it came back negative, he realized, they'd both be in trouble. He'd be in trouble for allowing her to stay with him. His job could be in jeopardy. He had no idea where she'd go, and he doubted that she knew either. She couldn't find steady work without a permanent home, and she couldn't get a home for herself without money.

He thought of how she was when he found her, and shook his head, as if to clear out the image.

Kylie walked into the kitchen. "When do we have to...ooh, coffee! Can I have some?"

He laughed. "Sure. You have a mug?"

She nodded, and raced back to her pile of suitcases. She pulled out a travel mug and raced back with it.

"Knock yourself out," Will said, motioning toward the coffee maker. "Cream and sugar are over there too."

"Okay!" Kylie seemed genuinely excited for the coffee.

Once she had made her cup, she settled into a chair next to Will. "As I was saying before I was distracted by the deliciousness that is coffee, when do we have to leave?"

"As soon as possible."

"Right." Kylie glanced out the window and made a face. "Rain."

"You don't like rain?"

"Eh." She shrugged. "Sometimes. I kind of do. Not right now, though." She looked at Will. "Can we go now?"

"Yeah." He stood up. "Come on." He walked out of the kitchen.

Kylie watched him for a minute, then sighed and followed him out.


End file.
